Hockey Sticks
By Quinton
Different kinds of Hockey sticks
Hockey sticks currently are made of different materials, each
having its own characteristics. Different chemicals and chemical
bonds create higher flexibility, lighter, weight and more powerful
shot. Hockey sticks also vary in shaft length, circumference, shape,
balance, kick point, and blade characteristics. Youth stick shafts are
shorter and have a smaller circumference, and youth blades are
shorter in length and height. There are many kinds of hockey sticks
made from different material such as wood, Composite, Fiber Glass,
Aluminum, Kevlar, Titanium
Wood Hockey Stick Construction
Lumber is the least expensive but is usually slightly heavier. Wood
hockey sticks offer a strong, natural feel with the puck. NHL players never
used to break their sticks nearly as often when they all used wood sticks.
This indicates that the trade off in strength is worth it for the
performance of new composite ones. Usually dusters use this type of
sticks. Wooden hockey sticks are now usually made by laminating layers of
wood together with thin plastic or fiberglass. The blade is then coated
entirely in a layer of plastic or fiberglass to protect it. That keeps the
water from seeping into the cracks to splinter the bottom of the blade,
and makes them lighter than the original solid wood sticks. Still, wood is
not as durable as aluminum or composite hockey sticks.
Composite Hockey Sticks
Composite sticks are today’s popular and more expensive
option. They are lighter than wood, and players claim to have faster
shots as a result. They say it has improved puck control as the best
feature. Composite sticks can be composed of different materials
like wood, fiberglass, aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium, or Kevlar.
They can be made with the blade and the shaft in separate pieces
or as a one-piece hockey stick. To make a composite stick, a long
sheet of the composite material is wrapped around a mold in the
shape of the blade or shaft. Then it is compressed in a large
machine until it takes on the proper shape.
Fiberglass Hockey Stick Construction
Fiberglass is made from extremely fine fibers of glass woven
together into a sheet like cloth. Multiple sheets are bonded by resin
for thickness and strength. This makes it heavy, and with its lack of
density, fiberglass is also the weakest of composite hockey stick
materials. These usually have a core, and it’s usually wood, but you
will also find fiberglass in lower end graphite sticks. Fiberglass
hockey sticks are the least expensive composite hockey sticks, so
considering their fragility, they’re best for a beginner or small
player.
Aluminum Hockey Stick Construction
Some hockey sticks have a shaft made entirely out of
aluminum, and need a replaceable wood or composite blade insert.
Aluminum hockey sticks are stronger and lighter than wood or
fiberglass, and don’t wear or warp like a wooden stick, but they are
not up to Kevlar or graphite standards. They aren’t up to Kevlar or
graphite prices either. To make an aluminum hockey stick,
aluminum sheets are folded repeatedly into a block shape. The
aluminum block is then cut into pieces roughly the size of the
finished shaft or blade and pressed into shape in a machine called
an extruder. The metal is then heat-treated to give it strength.
Kevlar Hockey Sticks
14Carbon, 10 hydrogen, 2 Nitrogen, 2 Oxygen
While often used with graphite, Kevlar can also be used on its
own to make a hockey stick. Kevlar sticks are expensive but are also
strong and can be the lightest on the market.
Titanium Hockey Sticks
Similar to Kevlar, these are usually not combined with any
other materials. Companies are combining titanium and carbon fiber
in other products now like cars. Titanium is a stiffer material by
nature, but titanium hockey sticks are offered in various flexes.
Titanium hockey sticks often feature replaceable (carbon) blades
that are replaceable. These are some of the strongest and lightest
sticks that money can buy, but are very expensive.
Environmental issues/relates to me
Some environmental problems would be using the material to
make the hockey sticks destroying trees to make the wood sticks,
taking the other materials from the environment to make the sticks
also hurts it. The more expensive the equipment the more rare
elements are used which are very rare to find.
This product relates to me because I play hockey and I use
different variety of hockey sticks like wood, composite, and
aluminum. With the right curve and flex I found that composite
sticks preformed the best despite the cost.